During seminar held at Yitzhak Rabin Center, army chief tells General Staff Forum regional turmoil may turn into 'active, dangerous' conflict involving Israel

Yoav Zitun|Published: 22.10.12 , 12:32

"The current threat is different than the one Yitzhak Rabin
faced during his tenure as IDF chief of staff," current army chief Lt.-Gen- Benny Gantz
said Monday at a meeting of the General Staff Forum held during a special seminar in honor of the slain prime minister.

During the seminar, which was held at the Yitzhak Rabin Center in Tel Aviv, Gantz said, "Before Rabin became the commander of the victory in the Six Day War,
he knew during his term as chief of staff how to read the strategic map. He prepared the entire army according to this map, and this preparation served as the basis for the army's ability during (the war).

Gantz with Rabin family members (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

"Today, as I sit on the same chair 45 years later, I am aware that the current multi-front threat may be different in its character and influence than (the threat) Rabin faced as chief of staff, but at the same time it is as realistic as ever," Gantz told the senior IDF officers.

He said Israel's armed forces must remain "prepared and alert amid the various challenges the State of Israel
faces," adding that the "regional turmoil may turn into an active and dangerous conflict against us at any moment."

Alluding to the Iranian nuclear crisis, Gantz said "technological advancements require us to prepare (for combat) also in the new fighting fronts in the face of the challenges of the third circle.

"All these pose a potentially explosive threat to the State of Israel, but I know, just as Rabin knew, that the IDF
is prepared more than ever before to face these threats. (The army) is stronger than ever, ready to take on any mission," he said.

Gantz said Rabin left a legacy of "courage in combat and military wisdom; of education and values as an inseparable part of the IDF's activity and the national security of the State of Israel."